Morgan Plus 4 Plus (1963 – 1967) Review

Morgan’s cars tended to evolve slowly, but the 1930s-style sports cars that were emerging from the Malvern Link factory were exactly what the company’s customers wanted. For proof of this, whenever the company attempted to modernize, it would meet failure. The Plus 4 Plus was a brave attempt by Morgan to create a genuine contender in the grand tourer market – and with an elegant closed body, a drooping MGA-style nose, a bubble-shaped hardtop and graceful rear-end styling, it should have succeeded. Technologically it was radical – for Morgan – and it featured a glass fibre body and even and gas-filled suspension dampers and wind-up windows.

However, Morgan fans rejected it, and sportscar fans chose to stick with what they knew because the Plus 4 Plus suffered from a bumpy ride, flimsy construction and – still – an archaic chassis. The outcome was predictable – production ceased after just 26 cars and the company suffered a financial setback because of it. The outcome of that was that Morgan went back to concentrating of its core products, and in doing so, ensured its future through the 1970s and ‘80s – a difficult time for many other small sports car producers.